Fisheries in the Philippines
There are more stringent rules on the fishing techniques that can be caught in municipal waters, and the local government is responsible for the sustainable management of its fisheries.
The Philippines lies within the Coral Triangle, and one area, the Verde Island Passage, has the world's highest recorded diversity of marine species.
[11]: 16 The most fished small pelagic species is Bali sardinella, followed by roundscad, bigeye scad (and others of the Carangidae family), squid, and anchovies (of the Stolephorus genus).
[16] Commonly fished demersal species are threadfin bream, slipmouths, blue crab, groupers, rabbitfish, spadefish, and catfish.
[4]: 21 The Luzon and Visayas areas have significant numbers of small-scale fisheries, while the Mindanao region has more large-scale commercial ventures, especially in the cities of General Santos and Zamboanga.
[4]: 47 Most inland fishing boats, which ply brackish waters, estuaries, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, are smaller than 3 gross tonnes.
[34] The Food and Agriculture Organization classifies the Philippine archipelago as a distinct basin that produces around 1.33% of global fish catch.
[4]: 11 The high value of some exports reduces their domestic availability, leading to some fish processing industries lacking raw materials.
A quarter of imports come from China, one-fifth from Papua New Guinea, and one-eighth from Vietnam, with other sources including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and Nauru.
[41]: 38 As wild stocks are declining, overall fisheries production is reliant on aquaculture, and thus greatly affected by changes in government funding, water quality, and disease.
Trips can involve a week in a lifeboat fishing at a single location while another boat comes every day or two to collect any catch.
The primary goal of this act was food security, and its balance of ecosystem protection and fishing allowance was intended to achieve long-term sustainability.
These councils are involved in the development of local government management policies for marine resources and in the issuance of fisheries licenses.
[9] Gear restrictions include national bans on fishing with explosives, poison, muro-ami nets, and flammable substances.
However, local-level MPAs are often community-managed and thus accepted and supported by affected local communities, who also may participate in establishing MPA sizes and boundaries.
[72][73][74][75] In addition to fishery protection, they provide alternative livelihood opportunities relating to tourism, as well as generating community pride.
A November 15 to March 15 closed season for sardines, herring, and mackerel in parts of the Visayan Sea was mandated by FAO 167 in 1989, building on past law for this area stretching back to 1939.
[6]: 66–67 Opposition to the 1986 ban of muro-ami fishing led to the development of a modified method, pa-aling, which was restricted to certain areas and monitored.
[81] In addition to creating more tailored sustainability plans, the FMAs are intended to improve governance and the enforcement of fishery laws and regulations.
[30]: 14 While the Philippines has a well-developed system of environmental laws with judicial support, it faces a consistent challenge in implementation and enforcement.
[8]: 10–11 BFAR organizes its response through a Fisheries Law Enforcement Operations Action Plan, although there is no centralized record of patrol data.
[6]: 68 LGUs receive some funds from the national government and have their own revenue-generating powers, which include revenues generated through their management of municipal waters.
[35] A number of government plans and policies have been put in place to improve fishery sustainability, enhance aquaculture, and tackle IUU fishing.
[5]: 11 [49]: 64 The protection of coral reefs and their associated ecosystem benefits, including supporting municipal fishing, is a critical aspect of Philippine food security.
[3]: 7–10 Typhoons and other tropical storms can be highly destructive for small-scale fisherfolk, destroying their property and damaging communal infrastructure such as ports they rely on.
While as of 2004 there were only a small number of studies on the trade, it is thought to have a high localized impact on target species, such as the whitetail dascyllus, especially as the mortality rate of caught fishes may reach 80%.
[31]: 4 The technological development of the industry benefited existing capital holders, and commercial production soon began to outstrip the previously dominant municipal fisheries.
[9][49]: 66 [14]: 38 Presidential Decree 704 of 1975 promoted the exploitation of fisheries, although environmental problems were becoming apparent, and the government began to tentatively look into coastal management near the end of that decade.
[102]: 18 Commercial operations outcompeted small-scale fisherfolk exploiting the same fisheries, further diminishing the already shrinking fish stocks available.
[27]: 52 With overfishing remaining an acute issue in the 2000s,[41]: 10 many local governments implemented integrated coastal management, treating fisheries as part of a wider system alongside marine protected areas.
